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Talk:Suggestions
Suggestions Help: talk pages, talk page guidelines It seems that some people want to use this wiki to share their ideas and suggest new features for the CHDK firmware. I think it may be good to collect these posts on a dedicated page. So, if you want to share an idea with us, click the post a new comment button at the top of this page and write away. Please also have a look at the already Frequently Suggested Features. ---- How about ... (moving mine from another area) ;CHDK Wish-List I've read some posts that had some good ideas, and found some things that I too would like to see CHDK have in the future. Even though CHDK is already a remarkable advancement/improvement, there's always room for more. :) Suggestions / Wishes: What about to make codepage to be the topmost part of the .lng file and then set it automatgically when setting language? A uBASIC script command to click the "Movie Record" button on the S3 IS. DONE! :-) A uBASIC script command to trigger audio-only recordings. A uBASIC script command for "zoom_to", where you could set it to quickly zoom to a numerical step. The "zoom_in" and "zoom_out" commands are very slow to run in steps. Done! (Build 119's set/set_rel/get_zoom command!) The histogram having a small grid to show full f/stop regions. How about an alternate rule-of-thirds grid for the golden ratio. The time display to show AM or PM for us North Americans. :-) To save space it could be just a dot next to the 12-hour number for PM, it's how lots of clocks do it, we're used to that. Focus distance and hyperfocal readings to reflect the feet/inches setting of the camera instead of just metric. (some of us still can't wrap our minds around metric estimates, we're old and gray. :) ) More colors to choose from for customizing features, so many are just repeats. And being able to use some of the transparent ones for special effect filters. How about a built-in transparent gray gradient for those over-exposed skies and under-exposed foregrounds? An audio record-level meter during movie and audio recording modes that shows clipping. (now that would be so cool) I like OwenJim's rebuilds of CHDK, where I'm able to keep the Blend Histogram showing at all times, as well as removing some redundant info, like the SCR and EXP alerts. The truncated Hyperfocal display option is nice too, but it's nice to have the fuller info displayed at times too. I read somewhere of people wanting some preset frame overlays for some favorite printing dimensions. I thought that was a neat idea. Making transparent borders for composition assists. What do you think? Are any of these worth considering for future projects? And a bug that needs fixing for the S3 IS builds, the F'''ocal-distance doesn't update in Manual Focus, '''MF, mode like it used to. You have to half-press the shutter to get it to refresh the F''' value each time you change manual focus. Keoeeit 10:26, 29 May 2007 (UTC) A script to implement a kind of B-pose (I don't know if it's possible but till 5 minutes or so would be great) Maybe it would be realized by setting a long exposure time (say 5 minutes?) during which a second shot will stop the capture. (Just like b-pose mode for DSLR cameras: first shot starts capture, second shot stops it) Intervalometer extensions Hi, I suggest modifying the intervalometer feature: - the total number of shots should be unlimited (just keeps taking pics until it fills up the card...) Currently this is arbitrarily set at 100. - the time between shots should be in SECONDS not minutes (with a minimum of 10 seconds, say) I'm no expert but it seems to me that these two features should be do-able simply by modifying certain constant values in the firmware. Thanks for reading. ryan.elt@gmail.com : No problem: Keo wrote a nice Ultra Intervalometer script which does what you want. I also like to use it. --Harvester 12:51, 29 May 2007 (UTC) ::Be sure to get the latest version, I had to rewrite some routines to compensate for a problem when choosing 1 frame, a delay to 1st shot, and "endless" turned on (it was taking 2 shots instead of 1 and screwing up the total cycle-time count).The "Delay 1st Shot" time-setting being used as your time between single but endless shots. If you are using an S-Series camera you might be more interested in the OMNI Intervalometer script. It has the same features but also includes options to use a combo of video and/or still-frame images in your intervalometer sequences. Keoeeit 00:17, 1 June 2007 (UTC) About dead/hot pixels on the ccd I know that one can send their camera backed to Canon to have the bad pixels mapped out but what a hassle. Too bad, Canon does not provide an in camera mapping program similar to Olympus so that the mapping could be done by the owner. I hope CHDK can provide an mapping program to re-map the dead/hot pixels. Thank you very much. Email: doanythingcn@yahoo.com.cn :It's not the fix that you ask for, but there is a very nice freeware tool available at MediaChance's Digital Camera Tools page. Look at the one called "HotPixels Eliminator". Check out their other free tools there too (just the first 3 or 4 are shareware, the rest are freeware), some of them are very very nice. Keoeeit 00:40, 1 June 2007 (UTC) Longer shutter time? Will this hack, or is there a script that will allow the shutter time to be longer than the S3's 15 or 30 second open time? Thanks :Not possible. This would require a rewrite of the original camera's firmware. CHDK only takes advantage of existing features in the original firmware. Enable remote capture on an A610? Is it possible to modify the firmware so that an A610 can use the remote capture feature (like the A620)? How can I change size OSD fonts ?? : You can change the size of the OSD fonts by choosing a different Menu RBF font. No idea about remote shooting though. Maybe it even has nothing to do with the cam firmware, but with the remote shooting PC software which does not support certain cams. --Harvester 18:15, 4 June 2007 (UTC) :: I think it's not a limitation of the software, even a third party software like PSRemote is not able to use the A610. uBASIC: wrong loop FOR/NEXT '''Sample script @title Test FOR/NEXT rem ------LOOP OK---------- x = 5 gosub "loop" rem -----LOOP NOT OK------- x = 0 gosub "loop" end :loop print "-------------" print "Loop from", 1, "to", x for i = 1 to x print "value of i =", i next i return Output of script >>> ------------- >>> Loop from 1 to 5 >>> value of i = 1 >>> value of i = 2 >>> value of i = 3 >>> value of i = 4 >>> value of i = 5 >>> ------------- >>> Loop from 1 to 0 >>> value of i = 1 <-- NOT OK thanks you for CHDK!!! Danilo : What should happen in your opinion? I think "for i = 1 to 0" makes no sense. --Harvester 04:30, 2 June 2007 (UTC) :: Actually, the body of the second 'for' should never be executed. But currently 'for' statement always evaluates his body at least once, even if the condition is false in the begining. uBasic has this bug 'by design'. So, it's quite hard to fix this (but it's possible, of course). --GrAnd 05:54, 2 June 2007 (UTC) According to my experience with other languages, I was expecting the body of FOR not to be executed. The check to decide if closing the loop, it should be at the beginning of the loop (FOR) and not at the end (NEXT). For the moment I solved: if x < 1 then goto "label1" for i = 1 to x print "value of i =", i next i :label1 Danilo uBASIC: new keywords do/enddo I suggest a new keyword which simplifies the program writing. Use like this: if a = b then do let ..... print ..... if c = d then do let ..... click .... print ..... enddo else do let ..... print ..... enddo enddo if x > 0 then do for i = 1 to x print "value of i =", i next i enddo Thanks you for CHDK!!! Danilo Better video codec I mean, lower bitrate in 640x480 video recording. : I think this is not possible without changing the original firmware. And even if you would do this, I'm not sure if the Digic II chip is fast enough for this. --Harvester 12:25, 3 June 2007 (UTC) Hide Icons / Info during playback Would it be possible to hide all OSD info when in basic playback mode (photo only)? Right now, my battery icon is on in that mode and is a little distracting. Also, can anything be done to include ISO (in the normal field) in the EXIF data direct out of the camera? Thank you! : Not quite your question, but there's a shortcut for turning the CHDK OSD off: half shutter press + right. --Harvester 18:15, 4 June 2007 (UTC) Show free card space on OSD It would be very useful if the OSD could show the remaining space on the card, in units of MiB (since I think that's what the camera already uses, e.g. next to the format option). This would be especially useful when shooting in RAW mode, since RAW makes the remaining pictures count pretty useless. In fact, the position of the free space display could be on top of that counter by default. : Yes, that would be nice :) --Harvester 18:15, 4 June 2007 (UTC) Custom text in image Some caption, signature or date from textfile. Regards zyga : I think this would be complicated to implement. The CHDK perhaps must bring its own jpeg processing engine or one must find a way to make complete use of the original Canon engine. So, I think an implementation is unlikely. I think it would be easier if you would use a batch processing tool on your PC for this. --Harvester 18:15, 4 June 2007 (UTC) Zoom during video recording Can CHDK enable the optical zoom feature during a movie recording? Thanks a lot... : No, at least not at the moment. Besides, the zoom motor would make terrible noises in the audio part, the zoom would be very fast with few steps in between (in most movies you see no zoom during scenes, or slow zoom) and zooming perhaps also would mean that the focus have to be re-adjusted (another thing which is not done during filming right now). So, I think an implementation is unlikely. --Harvester 18:15, 4 June 2007 (UTC) ::This is however possible on the S-series cameras using a script, I just tested to see if this would work and it does: rem Zoom Vid Test @title Zoom Vid Test click "video" sleep 5000 press "zoom_in" sleep 2000 release "zoom_in" sleep 5000 click "video" end Keoeeit 12:29, 7 June 2007 (UTC) Fill Flash Is it possible to have an automatic fill-in flash? I'm refering to something like a daylight ballance fill flash. It really gets anoying when I attempt to use a fill in flash and need to constantly return to the FEC on my Canon Powershot S3-IS and manually change things until I finally get things set right. :Someone wrote a nice fill-flash bracketing script that I collected, but I don't remember where I got it and I don't have their permission to repost it. A fill-flash bracketing option might work in some instances where the subject is still enough while the script is running for multiple-shots. If that would help, you or someone could write one (and post it?). Otherwise, as with all other suggestions, you have to remember that CHDK cannot alter the built-in features of the camera's original firmware (other than the on-screen display features in the EVF or LCD). Or in the case of command-buttons, re-map them to alternate uses of the already available built-in features. Keoeeit 03:56, 6 June 2007 (UTC) ::I've written such a script, but it is rather clumsy with lots of clicks and sleeps and so on. It's also written for the A610 and I think one would have to adapt it for the S3. If somebody wants to repost it or write a better version or something like that: please, feel free! :) --Harvester 05:48, 6 June 2007 (UTC) BULB (moved from another area) Is it possible to put BULB exposure time feature into CHDK? It would be really a great improvement! For instance for catching thunderbolts or photographing in deep darkness (when you need times like 30" or even 1 min) If it's possible, please put BULB into the new version. ::There isn't any way to extend the camera's own built-in limitations for exposure lengths. But you can use CHDK to run one of the many intervalometer scripts. If you set your camera for 15 second exposures, and unlimited number of shots with an intervalometer script, the shutter will be open for 15 seconds for every ~30 seconds. Since lightning flashes are random anyway, you'll still have a 50/50 chance of capturing one during each exposure. Even with another digital camera that I have that allows for 30 second exposures, I've not found any greater chance of capturing a lightning bolt on that longer exposure. You could hold the shutter open for 5 minutes and not get a lightning flash. If you really want to do it right, then get an old film SLR for its Bulb setting. Then you can use very low 25 ISO (ASA) film-speeds and very small f/stops, far beyond what any digital camera can do, to ensure you can keep the shutter open for as long as possible without overexposing the scene, and still capturing lightning flashes. There are some things that digital cameras are not your best option. Another would be a meteor shower, for similar reasons. ::Here's a lightning flash capturing tip for you though, watch the lightning flashes, start counting when you see a strong one until you see the next strong one. Now apply that to when to start your shutter. After you see a strong flash start counting, then press your shutter toward the end of the count. Since storms build up their charge just like any capacitor, and since the area in question, and discharge length to the ground are somewhat constant, there is a sort of random-regularity to the discharges. It's no guarantee, but it helps to try time your shutter release to capture the next strong flash. (If you aren't using a continuous intervalometer setting that is.) :::Keoeeit 04:25, 29 May 2007 (UTC) ::Update - I saw it mentioned in the FAQ section of how to emulate a BULB mode using scripts, and I think that is a great idea. Especially for something like taking lightning shots. Where the actual lightning flash is of such short duration and you could miss it during a dark-frame subtraction routine. Using the new press and release commands I'll write a small "Lightning Photography" script and add it to the [[uBASIC|'scripts']] section. High angle LCD feature Panasonic camera's have a high angle LCD feature to improve visibility when holding the camera high. This can simply be done by overlaying a light gray transparent colour over the whole display, colour 0xC0 from 'draw palette' works pretty well for instance (in picture taking mode). :The S3 with an articulating display must be using a different LCD type than yours. There's no need for this on the S3, but I thought I'd try it anyway to see what effect it would have, it just made it worse. This is not to say it doesn't work better on other models though. I know from using different LCD displays in the past how a tint or contrast change can drastically alter the low-angle views. Just thought I'd mention that if this is a future feature, that the S3 (or other articulating LCD models) won't be needing it. :-) Neat idea though for those that could use it! (if it actually helps) Keoeeit 02:37, 8 June 2007 (UTC) More converter options Make it possible to set the zoom factor of the converter manually, when using a third party converter or digiscoping it's not possible to set the right zoom factor because only there are only two cannon option in the menu. I think it's only important for image stabilisation. White balance tuning Make it possible to tune the manual white balance like many DSLR's. Some really firmware changing features (a.k.a. impossible) Better audio quality (than 8bit 11kHz) (+ hardware mod: external microphone) Refocus during film, maybe this one is even possible (yes, it will give audio noise) Remote control, triggered by hand clap (wouldn't that be fancy?) Fast shooting mode: 2 or 3 frames right after each other, no direct raw conversion/compression (how big is the buffer?). Usable for bracketing, dual flash/no flash shot. Maybe it's even faster to use no shutter, like in movie mode? m-p-bracketing for Canon A710 IS Hello, The user script for M-p-bracketing doesn't work on my A710. The two first lines : REM click "erase" (Originally here, but removed because I can't see why it's necessary) REM click "erase" (same case. What purpose do these statements serve?) must be changed to this: click "erase" click "erase" Now, it works on my A710 BUT I would like to do exposure bracketing without focusing after every shot. Is that possible? All the bracketing scripts don't work on my A710, except the m-p-bracketing after the removing of the "rem". Thank you in advance Best regards Eddy Non-CHDK Request - Video Input Device-Driver? A program called Cam4you Remote has features to automatically take videos or still-frames when there's motion detected in the field of view of Canon cameras (remote-capture capable ones) hooked up to the USB port. In order to do this it uses the video-signal from the EVF display (no icons or anything showing in the display, all the zoom, white-balance, and other features are operable through PC control). I boot up this program, and then using the screen-capture options of WebCamMax I am able to use my S3 IS as a webcam. Using Cam4you Remote's advance video-processing and camera-option features I am able to use the zoom, white-balance, set brightness, contrast, even saturation and hue, or gray-scale the image as a video-input device (with WebCamMax's screen-capture overlay utility). Since Cam4you Remote is not using the CCD signal (just the EVF display) it doesn't seem to overheat the camera for extended use or anything. What are the chances that you smart people that have made CHDK can write a video-capture driver to make the S-series and A-series cameras act as a video-input device? Granted the resolution will be limited to the EVF resolution, but it's still an exceptionally nice image. Considering that I can use the remote-zoom, white-balance, and exposure settings on it (as in Cam4you Remote) it could be nice added function to everyone who owns one of these cameras. If you are looking for another project to do when you need a distraction from CHDK on occasion, this would be a nice one!! :-) Keoeeit 00:34, 9 June 2007 (UTC) p.s. Part of the reason I ask, is that WebCamMax has a fun face-detection algorithm in it. It uses this to track a face and automatically resize and position an overlay of funny glasses, hats, wigs, and things on any face that it sees in the video signal. This feature in WebCamMax only works with an actual video-input device, it can't use it in the screen-capture overlay mode. I can play with this with a web-cam, but not my S3 IS. :-)